Richard Morris Hunt

Life

Richard Morris Hunt was the fourth of five children of the Congress member Jonathan Hunt and his wife Mary Jane Leavitt.
His mother came from an influential family in Connecticut.
After the early death of his father, he grew up with his siblings, including his older brother William, in Switzerland and France.

Richard Morris Hunt was the first American architecture, painting and sculpture at the École des Beaux -Arts in Paris studied.
After his return to New York City, he soon became the most prominent architect in the city.
Early in his career, Hunt designed a series of avant-garde building, brought the French architectural ideas to America.
Hunt received several important commissions during his career, among other things, he designed the first skyscraper, the Tribune Building (1876 ), the entrance wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art ( 1895-1902 ), the base of the Statue of Liberty ( 1881-1885 ) and
the World 's Columbian Exposition Administration Building ( 1891-1893 ).
He was the discoverer and promoter of the Austrian sculptor Karl Bitter.

Richard Morris Hunt was married to Catherine Howland and lived on their remote estate in Hilltop Estate.
The marriage, which by all accounts was happy, remained childless.
He died of a heart attack.
In Central Park, a country park in New York City, a monument to him was erected in honor.
The artist responsible was the famous sculptor Daniel Chester French ( 1850-1931 ).